Masjid al-Haram Sermon Urges Pilgrims to Raise Spiritual Ambitions
By Abdulrazaq Auwal
The Imam of the Grand Mosque (Masjid al-Haram) in Makkah, Sheikh Yasser bin Rashid al-Dosari, has urged Muslims to cultivate high aspirations, diligence and determination in their pursuit of success in both religious and worldly affairs.
Delivering the Friday sermon on September 25, 2026, corresponding to 14 Rabi’ al-Thani 1448 AH, at Masjid al-Haram, Sheikh al-Dosari focused on the Islamic concept of Uluww al-Himmah, or elevating one’s aspirations to the highest levels.
He described high ambition as a key to success and prosperity, saying it enables believers to rise to higher levels of faith and life while protecting them from helplessness, laziness and humiliation.
The Sheikh said Islamic teachings contain numerous exhortations for Muslims to hasten towards righteousness, compete in acts of goodness and generosity, and strive for the highest ranks in the Hereafter.
For pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah, the message carries particular significance, especially as thousands of worshippers gathered at the Grand Mosque amid the ongoing Umrah season.
The sermon’s emphasis on high aspiration, spiritual diligence and excellence encourages pilgrims to look beyond merely completing the prescribed rites and instead pursue an accepted pilgrimage marked by sincerity, patience and devotion.
Masjid al-Haram Sermon Urges Pilgrims to Raise Spiritual Ambitions
A pilgrim guided by Uluww al-Himmah, the sermon’s central message suggests, should approach the physical and spiritual demands of pilgrimage as opportunities for growth rather than occasions for complaint.
Long walks, crowded areas, exhaustion and other difficulties associated with Tawaf and Sa’i can become exercises in patience and perseverance when approached with the right spiritual mindset.
The message also reinforces the importance of Ihsan, or excellence, in worship. Pilgrims are encouraged to perform the rites with concentration and devotion while using their time in the Haram for prayer, Qur’an recitation and supplication rather than treating pilgrimage as a routine exercise.
Sheikh al-Dosari also stressed the need to combine diligence with Tawakkul, or complete reliance on Allah.
This means that while pilgrims are expected to prepare properly, observe the rules governing Hajj and Umrah and make every effort to perform their obligations correctly, they should ultimately rely on Allah’s mercy and grace for the acceptance of their worship.
The sermon concluded with prayers for the unity and security of the Muslim Ummah, relief for the oppressed and blessings for Muslim leaders.
